102 Ways To Write A Novel: Indispensable Tips for the Writer of Fiction

by Alex Quick

For God's sake, keep your eyes open. Notice what's going on around you.'William S. BurroughsThis step-by-step guide to the art -- and the craft -- of writing fiction is a refreshing blend of the practical (how to find an agent), with the more cerebral (how to handle point of view; the importance of rhythm).Throughout, Quick uses the hard-won experiences of his fellow novelists to give color and depth to his own advice. Did you know, for instance, that Road Dahl wrote in a shed? That Nabokov composed his masterpieces on index cards? Or -- alas -- that most writers get their best work done in the mornings?Full of wit and lightly-worn erudition, 102 Ways to Write a Novel is an elegant, useful and even inspiring vade mecum. It will become a classic of its kind - the book no writer of fiction should be without.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 16, 2012

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up because it quoted William S. Burroughs on the back cover. There's no startlingly new information about ways to write a novel within its covers, but that's not what matters. What makes this book so great is the organization of each section and the clever writing that makes you want to keep turning pages even though you are essentially reading an instruction manual on writing techniques. Spectacular for brainstorming and flipping through when inspiration seems to evade. I highly recommend it for anyone working on a novel of their own.

[Kátia Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I just have to start writing!!! Great tips!!

[Todd Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read with some good advise.

[Val Robson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some useful tips. More of a book to refer back to when you are actually writing a novel or very close to embarking on one. The ccapters are short and snappy but I did find a lot of references to books I'd never heard of to illustrate points. This being pointless unless the reader is familiar with the book referenced. Even then it's pointless unless you have the book to revisit and remind yourself of the point being made.

[Robert Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so excellent that it inspired me to write my first story since school and that's a whole lot of literary constipation! Alex Quick (or should I say Gary Dexter?) deserves to be rich and famous beyond all measure; unless of course he doesn't want to be.

The book does not really give '102 Ways to Write a Novel' but it does give 102 wonderful pieces of advice on the various aspects of how to write a novel, all of which are useful and actionable and.. I wonder if I'm really a psychopath with a lack of capacity to feel compassion for those around me.

[Johanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book! Well divided in sections, easy to navigate, short sections that give the basics for quick reference.
I would call it more "102 things to consider while writing your novel" - the book doesn't give 102 prompts or ideas to get you writing, but rather explore the whole writing process, from idea to publishing, in 102 small sections. It's short and basic, but great as a reference - you can always dig deeper into any of these things as needed.

Highly recommend!!

[Mark Papa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It`s not that the book contains any startlingly different information from the vast majority of writing manuals - indeed, the author seems to have heavily relied on Writing a Novel by Nigel Watts - but the whole thing is put together in such a snappy and (I thought) inspiring way as to make it an ideal reference guide for aspiring authors.

[Lucia M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Contains good tips/reminders for beginner writers, so is a good reminder for those who want to get back to basics.

[Stefan Grieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting, entertaining and well structured (along with having great tips on how to write, of course) this is a great introductory book on how to write as well as giving you a few extra intermediary tips. It's genuinely funny sometimes to, which is a great bonus helps with the overall digestion of the information.

[Charlotte Latham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read as preparation for NaNoWriMo. Quite interesting and entertaining and some good hints spun out a little thinly.

[Joe Mellanby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really easy to read and easy to find what you are looking for. It's a nice book for anyone planning to write a novel. It offers very easy-to-digest facts and tips. A solid book.

[Soph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant book with great tips and advice about writing

[Samantha Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical and inspiring

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like the bible for novelists.

I borrowed this from the library a couple of months ago for inspiration and to help motivate me to work on my own. I can say that it has helped me do that so now I have lost count the amount of times I have reborrowed this book.

It's a handy book to have around for the fact that when you need an answer about writing a novel you can find that specific topic so easily and quickly. This book is simple and yet so informative. What's also helpful is the amount of famous books he uses as examples for what he's talking about. Since most of these books, even if you haven't read you will still be able to understand why he uses these examples.

The reason I've been borrowing this book so much from the library is because I haven't been able to afford it but as soon as I can I will be buying this book and I would recommend for anyone else who's planning to write a novel to do the same.

[Alyce Hunt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel definitely gives you an insight into the process of writing and publishing a novel, but there are a few too many grammatical errors in the text for me to really respect it as a fully fledged writing guide. I mean stating that 'The Color Purple' was written by Toni Morrison? Rookie mistake.
Also, the fact that this isn't '102 Ways to Write a Novel' as much as it is '102 Things to Think About While Writing Your Novel' means that it's definitely false advertising, which, funnily enough, is one of the things the author warns against while giving advice on creating a title for your novel.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential book for novelists! In just 102 sections, this book manages to address and answer all of the important elements that are needed to write a successful novel. The book is written with much brevity, something that most other books in this subject often fail to do. The 102 steps can be dipped into time and time again as you work through your novel. It is a great guide for ensuring that you are including everything that you need to in order to create that bestseller! Go buy!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

An approach to writing a novel whose usefulness lies in its simplicity. It lays out the bare elements needed to start a novel and helpfully explains literary devices that I (embarrassingly) last studied in high school.

[شيماء السلطان · Rating 4 out of 5]

من الكتب الجميلة التي تساعد في الكتابة بشكل عام والرواية بشكل خاص. أسلوبه سلس وممتع.

[Taekwondodo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really is indispensable. This book has given me many ideas that will be very useful for writing my own novel.

[Nick Michie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good tips on writing and how to get it done.